


Conundrum

by Tails42



Category: Naruto
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Family, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29158986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tails42/pseuds/Tails42
Summary: Manami is forced to face the world without her family, and just in time for the fourth great shinobi war. But that's not all. There is one big riddle that she has to solve. A family-oriented mystery that people don't want her knowing about. But it's about her father, so she has a right to know the truth... Doesn't she?
Relationships: Uzumaki Naruto & Original Character(s)





	1. The Meeting of the Minds

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

The Meeting of the Minds

Tsunade stood in front of a two-way mirror; staring into one of the more hospitable rooms in the T&I division. Her arms were crossed under her breasts as she bit her bottom lip; deep in thought. On the other side of the glasses were two people seated at a table sitting across from each other; Ibiki Morino, the commanding officer of this division, and a little girl. It was a strange pair, Tsunade was aware. It wasn't often, thankfully, that Konoha had a need to hold children in the bowels of T&I. But in this specific situation, it couldn't be avoided. There were paper and crayons spread out in front of the of the two. Ibiki was lazily doodling with a blue crayon on his piece of paper; trying in vain to evoke some sort of response or action from the girl. Tsunade couldn't see what the master of interrogation was drawing but she knew she'd give him hell for it later.

"Did she say anything when you found her?" The fifth Hokage asked as she watched the little girl in question watch Ibiki. The girl had some training, that much was clear based on how she held herself and her unwillingness to look away from a potential threat. But she didn't seem any more capable than the typical academy student.

"No", Tsume Inuzuka answered promptly from where she and her giant ninken were standing on Tsunade's left. "Nothing useful. The runt yelled and fought us when we pulled her off her father's corpse. But once she realized she couldn't win she shut up. Tried to run a couple of times when we were on the road. But other than that, the runt didn't give us any trouble. Ate what we gave her. Didn't complain when she got tired", Tsume finished her explanation with a shrug. She had been deployed with her squad of tracking nin to follow up on a lead they had been given about a sighting of Akatsuki members in the Land of earth. They had expected to get some information from the locals, and maybe find a few scents to follow. But instead, they had found a house burned to smithereens, a dead missing-nin, and a kid.

"The body you found the girl with", Shikaku Nara started from Tsunade's right. "Are we certain it was the girl's father?" He asked; standing with his shoulders slouched and his forehead wrinkled. He was staring at the child in question just like Tsunade was. Except his analytical eyes were probably seeing thing that Tsunade wasn't. She knew she would have to ask for his input soon.

"Forensics confirmed it", Tsunade answered, grimly. "The brat's a match to the body you found her with. And they were able to identify her father based on his dental records. He was Hisao Uchiha, chunin".

Shikaku let out a heavy sigh and ran a tired hand over his face. "To think after all these years that there was another survivor of the Uchiha Massacre".

In the other room. Ibiki stood up slowly. Anyone who had been in contact with the girl since her arrival was moving at a cautious pace with her. No one knew what she had seen or lived through. Only that she had been found with the body of father. No one knew if she was dangerous or not. If she was truly a child as she appeared. Or if there were sleeper agents they needed to be wary of. "Someone is going to be in to see you in a bit", Ibiki said to the girl; only just loud enough for the occupants behind the two-way mirror to hear. He moved towards the door; taking note when the girl's eyes followed him.

"We're lucky that whoever killed the runt's father didn't take his body", Tsume said as Ibiki came to join them in observing the girl behind the two-way mirror. "To think that he managed to hide both himself and his pup for eight years without anyone figuring out who he was".

Tsunade nodded because she saw the truth in Tsume's words. It was lucky that they had found and gained custody of both the brat and her father's body before any ninja from a different village had. But luck was always tinged with suspicion. "Once the autopsy is complete the body will have to be destroyed", Tsunade said as Ibiki came to stand shoulder to shoulder with Shikaku. "And I don't want any paperwork on this. As far as I am concerned, you did not find the body of a missing-nin or his offspring. You found a nameless orphan that pulled on your heartstrings. Consider this to be an S-rank secret". Tsunade decreed. If they had just found the body, Tsunade might have considered letting the village know about the recovered Uchiha. However, the brat complicated things.

Following Tsunade's line of thought, Shikaku asked, "and the girl?" But he directed his question towards Ibiki.

"Not talking", the formidable man answered. "It's unclear if she's refusing to do so or currently lacks the mental state to speak".

"Shock?" Tsume asked.

Ibiki nodded in confirmation before continuing. "But the kid's not uncompliant. She won't answer anything involving personal information. But when given a pencil and paper she'll answer factual questions".

"But not with a crayon", Tsunade quipped as her eyes remained on the girl on the other side of the two-way mirror. Oily, tangled black hair that needed a good wash framed the girl's dirt-stained face as she stared at the door Ibiki had exited from with haunted onyx-colored eyes.

Ibiki smirked. "Not with a crayon", he agreed. "It doesn't prove much. Just that she has been exposed to some education. You might want to ask an academy teacher, but I'd say she's writing proficiently with Hiragana and has emerging Kanji proficiently. When I realized she'd answer questions based on fact, I started with basic arithmetic questions. Just to lure her in. She did okay. By the time we moved on to history and crystallized knowledge, it didn't occur to the kid that what she knew would tell me about where she comes from". Ibiki paused as his eyes scanned the girl again for what must have been the hundredth time. They hadn't brought a kid down into T&I since the last war. And Ibiki wasn't too sure how to deal with one. But he was glad that in this instance he didn't have to rely on more painful methods. "She didn't answer any of my history questions. Either she was refusing or she doesn't know. But it might support Tsume's hypothesis that the girl was living like a hermit. She did answer correctly questions about sharpening blades and how to hold them. And she has a basic understanding of chakra. The fact that she answered these questions at all makes me think that to her it's common knowledge that everyone knows. But it points out that she was being trained in the shinobi arts".

"By her father", Shikaku supplied. Slowly, they were piecing together a picture of what they were dealing with. But a lot of pieces were still missing.

Ibiki nodded. "I would recommend bringing one more person into the fold", he spoke directly to his Hokage. "Inoichi probably. I can't decipher if the kid's a threat or not just on the surface without digging into her. And if she is just a kid-" He trailed off, letting the others draw their own conclusions.

"We'd be damaging a possible asset", Tsunade finished. She sighed deeply and rubbed her temple; feeling the onset of a headache. And not one of the hung-over varieties. "I ordered Inoichi to search through the memories of the corpse. Summon him, and have him do the same with the girl. But tell him not to dive any deeper than he has to. We just need to make sure we won't have another serial killer on our hands and that the brat's presence here wasn't orchestrated".

It didn't take long for Inoichi to join them. Fifteen minutes top. And once he received his instruction, Inoichi was sliding into the seat Ibiki had evacuated from earlier. "Hello", he spoke softly and gently as the girl briefly locked eyes with him before looking away. Except she didn't look away entirely; she simply choose to not make eye contact and decided to stare at his jaw instead. An interesting habit, Inoichi noted. "It must have been a very long couple of days", Inoichi said in the same tone of voice. He remembered when his daughter was this small and couldn't help but have his behavior be affected by the comparison. "I bet you're tired. But this is almost over. I'm going to put my hand on your head. And you're going to fall asleep. When you wake up this will all be over", Inoichi explained but he avoided making any promises that things would be better. It was too soon to know that.

The girl's eyes widen so that her unease was easily read by him and everyone standing behind the two-way mirror. And while she leaned back in her chair to try to stay out of Inoichi's reach, the girl didn't run. Already building up chakra, Inoichi reached over the table and placed his left hand on the center of the girl's forehead. With precision, Inoichi started his jutsu and the girl became limp in her chair.

* * *

The sun's position in the sky and the grumbling in my tummy told me that it had to be around midday. Sweat dripped down my forehead; sticking strands of hair to my face and making my skin itch. But that sticky, overheated feeling was something I learned to ignore a long time ago.

I kept running; zig-zagging through the streets with side steps, vaulting over fallen logs, and dodging whatever Father chose to throw at me. Hopefully, he would allow us to break for lunch soon. Father generally did not make me miss meals. Even if he did say that learning how to deal with hunger was a valuable lesson. But I knew better than to ask for a break. Father had no patience for weaklings. "Faster", Father barked as a pebble I failed to dodge bounced off my head. "If you are dead on your feet, you are as good as six feet under".

Breathing heavily through my mouth, I forced myself to pick my legs up higher so I could take bigger steps. I had to do everything I could to keep Father from thinking I was being lazy. If I failed, this training might never end.

I can feel Father's eyes bore into me as I run his homemade obstacle course four more times. He does not call out any more instructions or critiques. And I could not decide if that was a good or bad thing. I can never tell with Father. He could be satisfied with my effort or he could be too disappointed to speak. "That is enough", Father finally relented.

I did not have to be told twice. Skidding to a halt, I braced my hands on my knees; hunched over with sweat dripping off the tip of my nose and to the forest floor as my chest heaved as I worked on catching my breath. It would be better if I stood up straight. That would make it easier to draw in the air. But I did not want to spare the energy right now.

When it is just the two of us, Father walked with silent steps. So, the only indication I got that he had moved closer was his shadow looming over me. Still panting, I tilt my head back. Father stands with his arms crossed, making his muscles look huge in his blue sleeves. He stares down at me with the hair he never manages to pull back framing his face. "Better", Father announced after a moment. Still panting, I smiled up at him. "But you're still not dodging all the projectiles. You need to learn to anticipate them", Father said as he uncrossed his arms.

As my heart rate slowed down, so did my breathing. I stood up straight but continued to look up at Father. "Yes, Father", I answered, knowing no other answer would be acceptable. Even though I do not how I am supposed to know when something is going to hit me when I am not looking directly at it.

Father nodded once before he turned away, heading towards the wood cart we bring with us each day. "Come get your lunch", Father called over his shoulder.

And even though I was tired and my feet feel like lead, I jogged to fall in step with Father. Our lunch break was my favorite time of day. Father never said much during lunch and the time he allotted for the break was never very long. But it was still nice to just sit next to him when he was not trying to teach me something. At the wood cart, Father reaches inside and pulls out the boxed lunch Mother had prepared this morning. Father hands it to me and I sink down to sit on the grassy floor. There is only one lunch. Mother always packs just one. It is Father's rule. We live on the outskirts of a farming village in the land of Earth. Mother grew up here. Father moved here. Father works as a woodcutter; supplying our village and some nearby ones with wood for any construction projects or for fire fuel. Mother takes care of our house. And as far as the village knows, Mother and Father have one child. A son who goes to school in the village. Removing the lid from the boxed lunch, I see that Mother had packed rice balls and vegetables leftover from last night's dinner. I hold the box up to Father. He takes one rice ball and motions for me to eat the rest.

"Tomorrow is a market day", Father reminded me after I took my first bite. Market days are when Father goes into the village to deliver on orders, settle debts, and sell kindling and firewood. "Your mother is coming with me, so, you will stay indoors and work on your kanji and arithmetic". I took another bite. "And if any strangers approach the house you will not-"

"Go near the windows or make any noise", I cut Father off; speaking around a mouthful. It is the same rules every market day. It has been that way since I was five and Father decided I was old enough to stay home alone.

Father does not continue his instruction. Though I am surprised when he does not scold me for interrupting him. Birds chirp from high up in a nearby tree as I finish chewing and swallowing. Staring at my half-eaten lunch, I said carefully, "I could help".

"Manami", Father made his voice stern in a warning.

"We do not have to tell anyone who I am". This time I spoke quickly; trying to argue my point before Father shut me down completely. "We could say I was your niece or something… who was visiting from somewhere far away".

"Manami", Father warned again, his voice adopting a sharper tone.

I look away from my lunch and up at Father. He is leaning against the cart with his arms folded once more and the rice ball he took is long gone. There is a frown etched into his face and wrinkles on his forehead from turning his eyebrows inward. I should stop. But I keep going. "I have never seen the village", I pleaded. "I have never met anyone except for you, Mother, and Itsuki. And it would only be for one day".

"You do not exist", Father said with the tone of voice that I know means he will not hear anymore about this topic. "As far as the rest of the world is concerned. Your mother and I do not have a daughter, and you better hope no one ever does learn about you or me for a very long time. You are not ready".

I flinched at Father's words and looked back at my lunch, but his words did not surprise me. He always gives the same reason that tells me nothing. We are silent for a moment. But I have to ask. "Why? Why can no one know about us? What is so special about us?"

Father sighs heavily, and I know that he is not going to give me any answers. Instead, he gave me more orders. "Finish your lunch, drink some water, and then we will work on chakra control". Father pulled himself out of his leaning position and started walking away to clean up the obstacle course. The tree stumps would stay, but the fallen logs would be loaded onto the cart for Father to sell tomorrow. Father says we can never risk leaving behind any evidence that we had been training in the forest. Suddenly, I lost my appetite. But I forced myself to eat anyway.

* * *

After Inoichi canceled his jutsu, he moved slowly. Wanting to make sure that the Girl wouldn't suddenly fall forward and smash her face into the tabletop. Despite knowing that there were four people in the other room that very much wanted to know what he learned, Inoichi walked around to the other side of the table. With one hand on the girls' right arm and another on her back, Inoichi maneuvered her until she was resting her head on the table; using her arm as a pillow. That would be slightly better than sleeping slumped over in a chair, he reasoned before moving to join the others.

"Well?" Tsunade asked as soon as he walked through the door.

Inoichi nodded his head; closing the down behind him. "Her name is Manami. This was not planned and she is not a threat".

Tsunade studied the girl once more. She wasn't sure if she was relieved. The girl may not be a threat herself but her existence wouldn't be without its complications. The girl could be molded into a loyal shinobi of Konoha. And if allowed enough time for the brat to grow, Konoha may benefit from having another Sharingan wielder in their midst. If the brat managed to unlock it. But she could also end up on the same path as her cousins. And in all honesty, Tsunade was sick of dealing with emotionally-stunted Uchihas.

"Did you learn anything else?" Shikaku asked his comrade and friend.

Inoichi nodded again. "Her memories lined up with the ones I managed to uncover from her father. They were living in the land of Earth on the outskirts of a small farming community. Hisao Uchiha fled there after discovering what was happening to his clansmen. He set himself up as a tradesman; a woodcutter. And married a local girl to help him blend in. There was another child". Inoichi reported.

Everyone paused at that piece of information. Please, Tsunade thought. Don't let there be a fourth Uchiha alive and breathing.

"A boy", Inoichi continued. "Older than Manami. But I don't think he was Uchiha's son. Just another part of his cover story". Inoichi pursed his lips. He couldn't judge Hisao on his actions. The man had been doing everything he could to survive. But it spoke of cowardice. First, to desert Konoha was an offense punished by death, but then to also hide behind a civilian woman and her child… Well, that just wasn't the type of man Inoichi was. "From what I could tell, the birth of his daughter wasn't planned or welcomed. Uchiha had no plans to revive his clan. But when Manami was born, he took her protection very seriously. He trained the girl day and night and kept her existence a secret. Bullied his wife and step-son into doing the same". Inoichi nodded in the direction of the child in question. The child that was still fast asleep with her head on the table. "Including his little girl. Manami doesn't know who the Uchiha are or that she's one of them".

Silence briefly hung in the air everyone let Inoichi's words sink in. There were so many variables that could swing this situation into being a good or bad thing, and Tsunade was struggling to think of them all. But that was why she had Shikaku. "I suggest we keep the girl in the dark as long as possible", Shikaku spoke up. "If she's just another orphan she'll be able to safely wander the village and attend school like any other child in the village". It was left unsaid that it meant that they wouldn't be forced to keep the girl isolated like she had been so far in life. "Any freedom we can give her might help foster a love for Konoha. And that should be our priority as far as the girl is concerned". They didn't want the girl to take after her father and run from the village, after all. "When we can no longer hide her origins, we need to ensure that the girl is informed by someone she trusts. Someone she'll believe, and someone who will tell the right story".

"But what do we do with the runt until then?" Tsume asked; shifting her weight back and forth between her feet. This meeting had been going on for a while and she was ready to go home, scrub the dirty accumulated during her mission off her skin, and check in on her pups.

Tsunade's mind swirled as she ran through all her options. Hidden origins or not, the girl was too valuable to leave her unsupervised. Tsunade could assign an Anbu detail to watch her from afar as the Third Hokage had done with Naruto. But Tsunade had never agreed with her teacher's decision. Besides, if the end goal was to make the brat a loyal kunoichi of Konoha she needed to form bonds with the village's people.

"Aren't the Inuzukas known for taking in strays?" Ibiki asked teasingly.

Tsume snorted as her ninken partner, Kuromaru, looked up at her. He had remained silent this whole time, as humans outside of the Inuzuka clan often reacted poorly to speaking dogs. But he wondered if he should speak up. An Uchiha pup growing beside their own. It could give them leverage other clans wouldn't have. But all Tsume did was answer, "Not of the four-legged Variety".

"If any clan takes her in there is going to a political backlash when her birthright is uncovered", Shikaku pointed out. And he was corrected. If a clan adopted the Uchiha brat and claimed her bloodline as their own, all the other clans would complain.

But Tsunade was struggling to think of a Shinobi who wasn't from a clan that she could entrust the brat to. And civilian families were not an option. If what Ibiki and Inoichi said was true, Manami only knew the ins and outs of shinobi training. A civilian family wouldn't understand her behavior and wouldn't be able to help the brat grow and adapt to Konoha. There was really only one person that was best suited for this job….

"What about Hatake?" Asked Inoichi. He waited until everyone was looking at him before continuing. "He was Sasuke's sensei and he has the Sharingan".

Those were valid points. But Tsunade didn't feel that she could entrust him with the responsibility of a little girl. Genin were one thing but parenting a child was another. Ibiki let on a single chuckle. "He'd be more likely to trick Gai into caring for the girl and then we'd have three Taijutsu junkies running around in jumpsuits".

Everyone, including Tsunade, shuddered. "Tsume will take her", she decided after a moment. At the Inuzuka clan head's disgruntled face, Tsunade continued. "It's not an adoption. You'll just be fostering the brat. I know someone who's going to want to her, but he hasn't returned yet".


	2. In A New Place

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

In A New Place

Manami wasn't sure what to make of the woman with short, wild hair. She had never heard of a woman having short hair before she met Tsume Inuzuka. When her Mother would steal her away from Manami's father, she'd tell the girl all about the outside world. Or rather, the parts she felt were important. Like fashions and customs and manners. So far, Tsume Inuzuka hadn't lined up with anything her mother had told her.

"And you just agreed?" Tsume's son, Kiba asked with disbelief as he watched his mom towel dry the pipsqueak's hair in their guest bedroom that was more used for dog sitting than it was for guests. "Just like that?" He folded his arms and studied his mom with as much intensity as he was capable of. It wasn't like he had anything against a kid he had never met before, but it was rare for clans to bring in outsiders. Even more so when those outsiders weren't from the village. Kiba couldn't see what the clan could gain from feeding another mouth. Kiba had come home to the scents of his mom, Kuromaru, and some stranger. Curiosity made him track his mom down and when he did, he found her sorting out a little girl who looked strangely familiar. Maybe because the pipsqueak was dressed in old clothes from his childhood…

Tsume shrugged as she removed the towel from the top of Manami's head to focus her efforts on the ends of Manami's hair. "What can I say?" Tsume started with a wolfish grin; knowing that she had to steer away from the truth. "I ran into the runt on my mission and got attached".

Kiba frowned as he raised a hand to scratch his nose. "And the Hokage allowed that?" He questioned with disbelief heavy in his voice. Infiltration wasn't his specialty, but letting a random kid into the village seemed like a security risk.

Tsume must have pulled a little too hard on Manami's hair because the girl flinched. But she didn't make a sound. It gave Tsume pause to think about how strange it was going to be to have a quiet kid in her house. Both of her pups had been hellions when they had been Manami's size. Hana just had to be yelled at to get her to straighten up. But Tsume often had to get Kuromaru to sit on Kiba before her son would knock off his nonsense. Locking eyes with Kiba, Tsume finished with the towel and tossed it aside. She'd pick it up after this discussion was over. "The Hokage was the one who told me to take her in". Tsume spoke very casually. As if the village leader accepting orphans into the village and passing them off to clan heads was an everyday thing. "Manami wasn't born in Konoha, but her father was. She's meant to be here". Tsume added. That was what Tsunade had told Tsume to tell her new fosterling if the girl asked. But Tsume wasn't sure Manami would work herself out of her silence to ask such a question. So, by telling Kiba, at least the girl got to hear it.

Kiba narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he uncrossed his arms and started to approach. He knew he could be a little thick in the head, but even he noticed when things didn't add up. When he was close enough, Kiba squatted down so he was inches away from the pipsqueak's face. "Why?" He asked, ignoring it when Manami stepped back into his mom's legs in an attempt to get away from him. "What's so special about her?" He asked, not intending for it to sound insulting in any way. With one hand, Kiba reached out and poked the kid's cheek. As if that action alone would let him in on why the Fifth Hokage thought this kid was important.

Tsume didn't get the chance to answer her son. Because as soon as Kiba had poked her new charge, the girl let out an indignant squeak. Her foot lashed out and caught Kiba in between his legs. Kiba acted like the wind had been knocked out of him as he clutched his injured area and crumpled onto the floor.

Realizing what she had just done, Manami nervously looked up at the woman behind her. Surely, this was bad. Manami's father might not have cared if she kicked someone, but her mother would have yelled until she was blue in the face. But all Tsume did was throw her head back and laugh at her son's expense. "Good shot, kiddo", she complimented as she reached out a hand to ruffle Manami's recently dried hair. She ignored it when the little girl hunched her shoulders at the contact. The Inuzukas were a tactile bunch, and Manami would have to become desensitized to them eventually. Maybe she would even start talking by then. Taking a deep breath to curb her laughter, Tsume removed her hand and walked around the girl and her groaning son. She called over her shoulder, "Let's find something to eat. Don't worry about Kiba. He had it coming".

Manami nervously eyed Kiba for a few more seconds. But when Akamaru padded into the room, having heard his partner's distress, Manami carefully tiptoed around the older boy and chased after Tsume as soon as Akamaru had cleared the doorway.

* * *

"Why do I have pup duty?" Kiba grumbled himself as he pulled on his shoes; yawning at the strain of all his efforts. It was his first day off in a long time, and all he wanted to do was sleep in late before training. Manami stood in front of him and Akamaru sat next to him; both were all ready to go. Manami was still in his old clothes; having nothing of her own. But his old shirt was too big on the girl. It hanged on her frame in a baggy sort of fashion and the sleeves covered her hands. Kiba snorted as he finished slipping on his sandals. "Here", he said as his only warning before he reached out and pulled the kid to stand closer to him. She would have trouble if they did any weapons training today, Kiba told himself as he started with her left sleeve; rolling it up to her elbows.

"Can it, runt", Tsume said; coming to stand over Kiba's shoulder carrying a cloth wrapped box in one hand as Kiba moved on to Manami's right sleeve. "I got clan stuff to do and Hana has her clinic. So, you have to be the one to enroll the pup".

Kiba rolled his eyes; knowing that his mom couldn't see him with his back turned and that the girl wouldn't tell on him in her current mute state. "Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time", he snarked.

Tsume thumped the box on top of Kiba's head; making Kiba squawk in disagreement. But it wasn't like it had hurt. Oh, Tsume couldn't wait until her youngest grew out of adolescence. "Take this", she said to Manami; reaching over her son to hand the girl the box. "It's your lunch. It better be empty when you get home and don't forget it at school", Tsume ordered.

Kiba leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially to the little girl. "She means it too. One time, I forgot my lunch box every day for a week and she wouldn't give me another one. So, I didn't get to eat lunch for a whole week". Although, he was whispering loud enough that Tsume heard every word.

It was his mom's turn to roll her eyes. "Just don't forget to take Mateo's boy with you", Tsume said as Kiba stood up; Akamaru rising with him. "I think Manami and Kouta are close in age so they'll be in the same class. Kouta can show her the way home too".

Kiba started to push Manami towards the door with a guiding hand on her shoulder, ignoring it when the girl hurriedly stepped away from his contact. But a thought had him turning back to his mom. "What's Manami's last name? They're going to want to know that stuff".

Manami turned around at that question. Last name? She didn't think she had one. No one had ever said. But Kiba's casually stated question was making it sound like a last name was something everyone had. Tsume shrugged. "Just use her first name and put down our clan as her emergency contacts. Tell them that she knows some things but we don't know how much".

Kiba sighed but nodded. "This is weird", he informed his mom over his shoulder as he opened the front door. Slowly, Manami turned away from Tsume as Akamaru left the house first. "Come on, kid", Kiba gestured for Manami to go in front of him. "If you're late on your first day, I'm going to be the one who gets blamed".

* * *

Kiba closed the door behind them and allowed Akamaru to lead the way. Manami hesitantly fell into step beside him; holding her lunch in one hand and jogging every couple of feet when Kiba's long strides became too much. They walked at a good pace through the Inuzuka clan's land. Akamaru wagging his tail happily and Kiba raising a hand in greeting to any fellow clan members that called out to him. It was a mild spring day with a light breeze. And while Kiba would have preferred to still be in his bed, it felt good to be out walking. Manami kept her eyes firmly focused on her shoes.

Akamaru leads them to the edge of the clan's property, but they didn't leave right away. Kiba halted and called out to a boy sitting in front of his house. "Oi Kouta!" Kiba called. The boy perked up and looked in Kiba's direction as soon as he heard his name. Cautiously, Manami adjusted her line of vision so she could get a look at another new person in her life. This Kouta had brown hair and red fangs tattooed on his cheeks; like many members of his clan. "Time to go". But Kouta was already on his feet and running over to them before Kiba had finished speaking.

Kouta made a beeline for the giant ninken in the group. "Hiya Akamaru", he said; reaching out to scratch the dog behind his ears.

In response, Akamaru barked once in joy before inching closer to lick Kouta's face. Only Kiba noticed the flinch that left Manami at the sound of Akamaru's greeting. That, Kiba knew, would have to be fixed pretty soon. The kid couldn't live with them if she was afraid of dogs. Kouta laughed as he wiped the dog slobber off his face with the sleeve of his jacket. But when he finished, he looked in Kiba's direction and said, "This is stupid, Kiba nii-san. Why did my old man say that I had to walk to the academy with you today?"

In response, Kiba tilted his head in Manami's direction. "Because of her". Instantly, drawing Kouta's attention to the little girl that was refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "Kouta, this is Manami. Manami, this is Kouta", Kiba made a brief introduction; not surprised when neither of the kids made a step towards each other. Kouta was at that age where he thought all girls were boring and Manami wasn't exactly a social butterfly. "Manami's going to live with us for a while. And since you two are close in age, my mom wants you to look out for her".

At first, Kouta frowned. Probably because he had just been saddled with the responsibility of a girl, Kiba imagined. But then the frown changed into a more thoughtful expression. Kouta eye Manami with all the scrutiny an eight-year-old boy can manage; making Manami fidget uneasily at Kiba's side. "Does that mean she's pack?" Kouta asked after a moment.

Kiba nodded slowly. He guessed it did, even if his mom said this placement was only temporary. "For now, yes".

"And if Tsume-sama is the one who wants me to take care of her and stuff, does that mean this is like a mission?" Kouta asked a second question; his dark eyes sparkling.

Kiba shrugged. If it meant he didn't have to listen to Kouta complain the whole way to the academy about being stuck with Manami then Kiba guessed Kouta could look at it that way. "Sure, why not", he answered.

And that was all it took. Kouta darted away from Akamaru and closer to Manami. "Hi, I'm Kouta", he introduced himself; despite the fact that Kiba had already done that. "You don't need to worry about a thing", Kouta said as he extended his hand and grabbed Mananmi's without giving her the option to refuse. Furiously shaking their hands up and down, he continued, "The academy's no big deal".

Manami started sending Kiba quick looks as her eyes flickered back and forth between the two Inuzuka boys. The tense muscles in her face giving off how… unsure she was about the other kid. Like she was silently asking Kiba what exactly she was supposed to do with a person like Kouta. After all, this was her first time meeting someone who was the same age as her. Not that Kiba or Kouta knew that.

Kouta either didn't notice the apprehension on Manami's face or didn't care. "I won't let anyone mess with you too much. And you can hang out with me and my friends, even if you are a girl". Kiba snickered as Kouta, still holding Manami's hand started pulling her in the direction of the academy. "Come on, Kiba nii-san, Akamaru. We're going to be late!"

* * *

Once they reached the Academy, Kouta wasted no time in pulling a slightly overwhelmed Manami over to a group of boys that were roughhousing near the back of the schoolyard. "They'll like you", Kouta assured the girl. "Just as long as you don't talk about dolls or make-up or other stupid stuff like that".

Kiba shook his head in mild amusement; his eyes tracking the two kids just long enough to make sure they made it to Kouta's group of friends before turning towards the building. Akamaru followed close to Kiba's side as they dodged kids running and playing as much as they could before the school day officially started. Kouta had jabbered all the way from home to the academy. It was like he never ran out of air. Kiba wasn't sure Kouta had even noticed that the girl he was dragging behind him the whole way hadn't said anything the whole trip. Opening the down to the academy, Kiba had Akamaru enter in front of him. He supposed it wasn't a bad thing. If Kouta spoke enough for both of them, maybe it didn't matter if Manami was silent.

Kiba followed after Akamaru and closed the door behind him. Instantly, it was a lot quieter than the schoolyard. Knowing the route very well from his days as an academy student, Kiba with his partner walked towards the staff room. He wasn't quite sure what he had to do to go about enrolling a new student, but Kiba guessed talking to an academy student was a good place to start.

But he ended up not making it to his planned destination. Stepping out of a classroom with his arms full of books and scrolls was a familiar face. Both shinobi, plus Akamaru, stopped in their tracks at the sight of the other. "Kiba, what are you doing here?"

"Hi, Iruka-sensei", Kiba greeted as he observed that the man didn't look any different from when he had been Kiba's teacher. "My mom sent me down here to enroll a kid that's living with us".

Iruka shifted his armload around a bit. "Oh. I received a message from the Hokage's office that I should expect a new student. But I didn't know it would happen today".

Kiba shrugged; absentmindedly petting the top of Akamaru's head as he answered. "Mom didn't want to wait. Said it was better for the kid to be around other snot-nosed brats than following one of us around all day". And then after thinking about it for a couple of seconds, Kiba added, "I brought the kid with me. She's in the yard with one of my cousins. Can she start today?"

Iruka nodded. "That wouldn't be a problem". Iruka turned back into the classroom he had just come from. "Just let me put this down and I'll add her into my grade book", he called over his shoulder. Iruka didn't bother to tell Kiba to come in; knowing that his old student would know to follow him. And sure enough, he heard human and dog footsteps behind him. Placing everything he was carrying on the corner of his desk in a precarious pile, Iruka reached over it to grab his grade book from where it lay in the center of his desk. "What's her name?" He asked, only turning back to Kiba when he had a pencil in hand was ready to write.

"Manami", Kiba answered easily.

"Last name?" Iruka asked after he finished writing the first name.

Kiba shrugged. "Mom said to just use her first name". It would have been easier to just say that Manami didn't have a last name. Manami wouldn't be the only kid in Konoha without a family name. But it just didn't feel right. Kiba still couldn't place it, but there was something familiar about the runt. And the way his mom had acted when Kiba first started asking her about Manami made him think that there was something more to the kid's story. "The Inuzukas are looking after her. So, we're the people you should talk to if something happens, but other than us the kid has nothing".

Iruka nodded; filing that information away in the back of his mind for later. It might be useful if he has to make any individualized instruction plans for his new student. "Do you know her date of birth?"

Kiba shook his head.

"Age?" Iruka tried something not as specific.

"She looks to be the same age as Kouta", Kiba supplied with a shrug.

Iruka finished writing and snapped his grade book closed. With a nod to himself, Iruka said, "Okay that will do for now. I'll finish the paperwork today. But for now, Manami is good to go. Thanks for bringing her in".

Kiba gave his former teacher a small smile as he started to leave; Akamaru following him. But he stopped at the door. "Oh", he said, signaling Iruka that he had something else to say. "Let her stay close to Kouta. The kid hasn't talked yet and I kind of lead Kouta to believing that it was his mission to look out for her". Sheepishly, Kiba raised a hand to rub the back of his neck.

Iruka smiled. It was energizing to see an example of the will of fire so early in the day. "I don't think that will be a problem".


	3. Connecting Dots

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Connecting Dots

So, this was school. Manami thought as she looked around from the very back of the classroom. She would have liked to sit closer to the front, but Kouta had acted like there was no other option than the very last row. Maybe they had assigned seats, Manami reasoned as her eyes focused on a group of girls settling in the front row. She thought she remembered her brother saying something about having a designated desk in his school.

Kouta hadn't stopped talking since they left the Inuzuka's land. He was going on something about the teacher yelling a lot but without being scary. However, in the brief time Manami had known Kouta, she had learned how to tune him out.

Conflicting emotions were battling it out inside Manami. She had always dreamt of going to school like her big brother. And now here she was with curiosity tinging all of her thoughts. But where she was, was also a part of her problems. This school in this village was a long way from home. Her father would be furious if he knew she had left the safety of their woods and was living with strangers. Because Manami wasn't supposed to exist. No one was supposed to know about her. It wasn't safe, her father had claimed. That gave Manami both a sense of guilt and fear. What was she doing here? And why had all these people she's met; Kouta, Tsume, and Kiba, been nice when her father said strangers would harm her?

The fear didn't mix well with the curiosity. And the guilt only intensified when Manami considered the fact that father couldn't be angry, because… because he was dead…killed by two men in black cloaks with red clouds… Manami shook her head. As if that would make the memory less vivid.

Either way, Manami didn't know what she should be feeling. "If we're lucky", Kouta continued. "Will get to spar today. Iruka-sensei probably won't make you fight cause you're new. But everyone else will".

The three boys Kouta had dragged Manami to meet in the schoolyard filed into the row in front of Manami and Kouta. "We won't be sparring today", said a boy with blue hair; having overheard his friend. "We never spar on Wednesdays".

Kouta didn't get to respond, even though his mouth was open and he was ready to. The only adult in the room clapped his hands and brought everyone's attention to him. For the first time since Manami has met him, Kouta fell silent. "Today, we will begin by going over last night's homework", the teacher said before a series of groans echoed throughout the classroom.

Manami glanced at the other children; Kouta especially who had slumped down dramatically with his top half laying across the desk. How could they complain? Manami asked herself as her eyes returned to the teacher. Complaining wasn't allowed in her house. It was an offense that earned extra push-ups.

But Iruka-sensei did not yell, as Kouta accused him of frequently doing. And he did not demand that they drop down and give him twenty. In fact, Iruka-sensei did not seem phased at all. He just kept talking. "Once we're done, we will be going out to the yard to review the Academy standard".

At this announcement, the boys and girls in the class sat up straighter; making Manami assume that this 'Academy standard' was a good thing.

As Iruka asked questions about the ninja code and reviewed the students' answers with them, he kept sneaking quick looks at his newest student. Iruka considered himself to be an experienced teacher. He had taught many different kids with different strengths, weaknesses, and personalities. And his students had a higher graduation rate than some of the other academy teachers. Not that Iruka was boasting. Part of being a good teacher is being able to remember your students; the current ones and the old ones. Which was why Kouta came charging into his classroom while clutching onto the arm of the new girl, Iruka did a double-take. Black hair paired with black eyes. Both separate wasn't anything special. But when paired together, these traits pointed towards a very specific family. But… Iruka shook his head. No. That was impossible. Must just be a coincidence, he told himself.

So, Iruka continued class. Kouta had to be prompted twice to pay attention to the homework review. Although, Iruka was pleased that the boy had actually finished the assignment this time. As always, Izumi, a little red-head girl who likes to sit in the front row, answered all the questions correctly and with excellent penmanship too. And of course, there was Akio. One of Kouta's friends, who knew the correct answers when asked for a verbal response but never managed to write them down.

When he wrapped up the morning review and instructed his class to head for the training yard, Iruka's eyes flew to the little again. Iruka couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he found something about the new girl to be unnerving. It was more than just her uncanny appearance to a certain bloodline, but how she was holding herself. It was the posture of someone who didn't want to be seen. Like a ghost.

Despite being in the very back of the room, Kouta and his friends were the first ones out the door; pulling an uncertain Manami behind them. Iruka shook his head again. Except for this time, it was for a different reason. If only those boys would show that much enthusiasm during their arithmetic instruction.

Once in the training yard, the students didn't need any instruction as they organized themselves into eight rows of four with enough room between them that they could move with enough hitting each other. Even though they had been the first ones there, the boys and Manami arranged themselves in the last two rows. "Izumi, you lead", Iruka picked as he situated himself close to the back row. This way he could instruct the new girl without drawing too much attention to her.

The red-head girl removed herself from her row and turned to face her classmates. With a confident smile, she fell into the first stance of the Academy Standard. Her peers followed her a second later. As Izumi took them through the motions, Manami stood straight and glanced at Kouta and the boy on her right. Clearly, having no idea what she was supposed to do.

Iruka started forward; readying to pull the girl from the line up to walk her through the different kata one at a time and show her how she was supposed to poise her hands and feet. But before Iruka could get Manami's attention by calling her name or placing a hand on her shoulder, she copied Kouta's stance and fell into sync with the others.

Iruka's breath caught in his throat; hand pausing in mid-air as he watched Manami transition into the next position along with the class. This time without looking at Kouta at all. How did she know what was coming next?

Manami wasn't completely in sync with the others. Iruka-noted. She was off by one beat, like someone who had never timed herself with others before. But Iruka couldn't find any fault in her technique. She had her weight evenly distributed. Manami's toes were pointed in the right direction. And she moved through the different stances with fluidity. Like someone who had done this before. Like someone who had practiced often.

Iruka lowered his hand and took a step back. His eyebrows slanted inwards as he chose to watch. But Manami was new. How did she already know the academy standard?

After they warmed up with kata, Iruka transitioned his class to shuriken practice. They had five targets attached to five training posts, so the students formed their own groups to take turns with the dulled ninja tools. Again, Iruka stood close to Kouta's group; readying to help the new girl learn how to hold a shuriken. Kouta took his turn first. All the while talking over his shoulder about why it was important to make sure that no one was in the way before you threw. His feet were too far apart and his first throw ended up sailing over the training post. But Kouta just shrugged it off; laughing he moved to the back of the line as he exclaimed, "look how far that went!"

Manami stepped up and looked at the students taking their turns on the left and right of her. Her eyes darted to their feet and their shoulders. A perplexed sort of look took over her otherwise vacant expression. Iruka got ready to speak up. Throwing a shuriken would be too much for the first day. He would pull Manami aside and work on simply how to hold one properly. But before he could, Manami reached down to pick one up. She fit it comfortably in her hand with her thumb over its center and her index finger stretched out against the shuriken's length; ready to aid her aiming. Manami bent her knees and held the arm that held the shuriken out in front of her. Her feet weren't too far apart and she wasn't holding her shoulder muscles as tensely as the other. She maybe spent a couple of seconds staring at the target before flicking her wrist and slightly extending her elbow. After releasing the shuriken, Manami stood up from her stance and watch as the star-shaped weapon spun through the air; unaware that her new teacher was watching the trajectory of her first throw just as closely as she was. The shuriken impaled itself on the upper left side of the target. Wide-eyed, Iruka praised, "That was very good. You hit the target!"

But Manami seemed to disagree. There was a downcast frown on her face; one that spoke of self-consternation. It sent a shiver up Iruka's spine. He knew that look. It was something he had seen before on a different student. A student that had graduate years before.

Manami balled her hands into fists and breathed deeply through her nose as she moved herself to the end of the line. The blue-haired boy, Shouhei, moving up to take his turn. She was unaware that Iruka's eyes were following her. What Iruka didn't know was that a throw like the one she had just done would have resulted in a disappointing frown from her father and a lecture about 'if you're going to do something, do it right'. So, of course, Manami wasn't happy with herself.

* * *

The rest of the school day continued in a similar fashion. Iruka transitioned his class from lesson to lesson. He gave his usual amount of feedback and attention to each of the budding shinobi. But a part of him remained distracted for the rest of the day. Because that part was busy noting every and any similarities Manami had with the family she resembled. At the end of the day, Iruka released his students with the assignment of review chakra control before tomorrow's replacement jutsu practice. "Come on, Manami!" Kouta said excitedly as he pulled the girl behind him as he ran out of the classroom. "I have to finish my chores. But you can help me and then we can play with the puppies".

Iruka watched them go as he waved goodbye to the others. His head was whirling as he did some mental math. Kiba said that they didn't know Manami's birthday day. But he was right. Kouta and Manami did appear to be close in age. Meaning, that the new girl couldn't be any younger than seven and no older than nine. Though, she couldn't be any older than eight if Iruka's math was correct.

Foregoing his usual tradition of working on grading in the teacher's room with his colleagues, Iruka waited for the last of the stragglers to leave his classroom before he left. His feet took him straight to the Hokage's tower. For security reasons, the academy had been built next door to it. Iruka doubted he would be able to see Tsunade on such short notice, but he felt he had to try.

Did she know? Iruka asked himself as he entered the building and climbed the stairs. Iruka recalled the message he had received from the Hokage's office about a new student. So, Tsunade must have known about exactly who the little girl had come from. But did that mean… Iruka didn't quite want to phrase the question.

Checking in with the Hokage's secretary, Iruka asked if Tsunade was free. But he need not bother. As if she was expecting him, Tsunade poked her head out of her office doors. "Come in, Iruka", she ordered.

It was that action alone that confirmed the root of Iruka's suspicions, because as an academy instructor, Iruka didn't normally have a need to talk to his Hokage. As such, Tsunade wouldn't have known he wanted to speak to her in normal circumstances.

By the time Iruka had entered Tsunade's office, the fifth Holage had already sat down in the chair behind her desk. Her fingers were laced together and her chin rested on top of them as she waited for Iruka to make the first move.

Iruka stood a couple of feet from Tsunade's desk. He took a deep breath and said, "Hokage-sama, the new student you told the academy was enrolling, is she-" It felt like a ridiculous thing to ask. "Is she an Uchiha?"

Tsunade closed her eyes. So, much for that secret. But Tsunade expected some to discover it. There was, after all, nothing they could do about the brat's eyes. Tsunade raised her eyelids and answered evenly, "Yeah, she is".

Iruka's face became contemplative as his suspicions were confirmed. "Manami knew how to do the academy standard even though she hadn't studied with us before", Iruka said more to himself than his leader as he listed off all the evidence he had collected throughout the day. "She was proficient during shuriken practice. And her mannerisms…" Iruka trailed off. Tsunade listened to all of this without offering any comments. She'd wait for Iruka to work through this before she informed him that the Inuzuka's fosterling's origins were considered classified information. But what Iruka said next had Tsunade wishing for a drink of sake. "Is she Itachi's Uchiha's child? How did you find her? Was Anbu able to take out Itachi? Iruka's eyes got wider and wider with each question. As did Tsunade's but for different reasons. "She can't be Sasuke's. Manami is too old. But Itachi would have to have been young to when Manami was-"

Tsunade cut Iruka off before Iruka could continue down that horrifying train of thought. The last thing Tsunade wanted to think about was the Uchiha brothers reproducing. The current situation surrounding Konoha's newest resident was more than enough of a headache. "The brat's not directly related to Itachi or Sasuke", Tsunade said as she unfolded her hands. "At most, she's their distant cousin". They weren't sure how Hisao Uchiha was tied to the main Uchiha family. Like most clans, the Uchiha family tree was a convoluted one.

Iruka visibly deflated. He wasn't sure why. No matter what Tsunade had said, Iruka knew that he would still have to teach Manami. But it felt… felt better that he didn't have the daughter of a mass murderer in his class.

Tsunade continued to fill Iruka in on everything that Tsume had told her about finding Manami and her father's body in the Land of Earth. She told him why Kiba had enrolled Manami without a family name and why she didn't want this information leaving her office. But Iruka still had questions.

Questions that he asked without really thinking. "And the Inuzuka's just agreed to take her in?" Iruka wasn't apart of any clans, but having taught many of their children he was aware of some of the politics that lined clan interactions with each other. "We wouldn't be able to hide Manami forever. What will the other clans do when they learn…" Iruka trailed off again. It was just too weird to say the Uchiha name after assuming he would never teach another Uchiha after Sasuke ever again.

"It's temporary", Tsunade said. Even though it was information that Iruka didn't need. "Tsume Inuzuka was the one who found the brat, so she was the best option. I have a different person in mind to watch the brat. But he isn't back yet".

Iruka wracked his brains as he tried to think of who Tsunade was referring to. It had to be a shinobi That much was for certain. Iruka couldn't imagine the Hokage entrusting an Uchiha to a civilian. And it couldn't be someone from another clan. If that was the case, Manami would probably be better off staying with the Inuzuka's who she was already forming bonds with. Iruka tried to think of who was currently deployed and who would be willing to take in an Uchiha child. The answer came quickly once Iruka had asked himself all the right questions. "You don't mean-" He started to ask. But Tsunade's left eye wincing was all the answer Iruka needed. "But we don't know when Naruto will return. And he is only sixteen. He can't take care of Manami".

Tsunade shook her head as she got ready to argue her points. Iruka was Naruto's greatest defender. If there was anyone who would have a problem with the arrangement she was proposing with Naruto's best interests in mind, it would be him. "I won't ask him to put his life on hold; just watch the brat when he's not on a mission. Naruto won't care about where the girl comes from or try to use her. He won't hold the brat's heritage against her".

Iruka's shoulders slumped because he realized that Tsunade was right. Naruto would want to watch over Manami just because she was someone of might be of importance to his missing teammate. To Naruto, that would make Manami important to him. "Then what about Sakura?" Iruka asked; trying to find a different solution. He thought about suggesting Kakashi should care for Manami, but remembering the books Kakashi likes to read made Iruka rethink that suggestion. "Sakura's more responsible than Naruto", he argued.

Tsunade was ready for him. "Sakura lives at home with her parents. They're not about to let their sixteen-year-old take in child half her age".

Iruka raised a hand and smoothed down the hair on top of his head. That was another point in Naruto's favor. The blonde didn't have parents who would complain about their son taking on a responsibility that was beyond his years. If Naruto agreed to watch over Manami, there was no one that could stop him. Iruka nodded at the Hokage; the only sign that he was conceding. After all, there wasn't much he could do to change Tsunade's mind. Iruka just found the whole mess of it to be rather sad. A bittersweet type of sadness. Iruka hadn't seen his favorite student in three years. But despite not seeing him, Iruka knew that Naruto was growing up too fast. All his old students were.


End file.
